gegë
Albanian
Etymology
- According to Vladimir Orel an onomatopoeia of babbling, indistinct speech as contrasted to shqipe.[1]
- According to Pokorny cognate to Ancient Greek (Attic) γίγας (gígas, “giant”), from the Homeric mythology (the giants of the Acroceraunian mountains), probably denoting originally war-like invading tribes descending from Epirus. Compare Arbëresh Albanian glatë (“tall, long”), Albanian gjatë (“tall, long”), Gheg Albanian gat (“tall, long”), Albanian gatë (“heron”) and Latin gigas (“giant”).[2]
Noun
gegë m (plural gegë, definite gega, definite plural gegët)
- inhabitant of the historical region of Gegnia (Gegëria).
Declension
| singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| indefinite | definite | indefinite | definite | |
| nominative | gegë | gega | gegë | gegët |
| accusative | gegën | |||
| dative | gege | gegës | gegëve | gegëve |
| ablative | gegësh | |||
Related terms
Descendants
- Serbo-Croatian: Gega (“Gheg”)
References
- ^ Oryol, Vladimir E. (1998), “gegë”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden; Boston; Köln: Brill, →ISBN, page 112
- ^ “Indogermanisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch”, J. Pokorny, 1959, Bern : Francke
Further reading
- “gegë”, in FGJSH: Fjalor i gjuhës shqipe [Dictionary of the Albanian language] (in Albanian), 2006